Stop motion for open end spinning machines



Aug. 26,1969 M- BOUCEK ETA!- 3,462,936

STOP MOTION FOR OPEN END SPINNING MACHINES Filed July 11, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 STOP MOTION FOR OPEN END SPINNING MACHINES Filed July 11, 1967 M- BOUCEK ETAL Aug. 26, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN 0R5.

Aug. 26, 1969 M. aoucsx ETAL 3,462,936

STOP MOTION FOR OPEN END SPINNING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 11. 1967 I VEN ORS;

United States Patent 3,462,936 STOP MOTION FOR OPEN END SPINNING MACHINES Miroslav Boucek and Frantisek Pospisil, usti nad Orlici, Jiri Elias, Brandys nad Orlici, Miloslav Tyl, usti nad Orlici, and Karel Mikulecky, Chocen, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Vyzlmmny Ustav Bavlnarsky, Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 598,268, Dec. 1, 1966. This application July 11, 1967, Ser. No. 652,558 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, Dec. 1, 1965, 7,194/ 65 Int. Cl. Dtllh 13/16, 7/22 US. Cl. 5780 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spinning machine having a plurality of spinning units each comprising a spinning chamber, supply means for supplying fibrous material to the spinning chamber for conversion into a filament, and withdrawing means for withdrawing the filament from the spinning chamber. Detecting means is associated with at least one of the units and is active for detecting a trailing end of the particular filament originated in the spinning chamber of the one unit subsequent to termination of the supply of fibrous material to the spinning chambers of all units, and an operative connection is provided between the detecting means and the withdrawing means of all units for terminating the operation of the withdrawing means in response to detection of the trailing end by the detecting means associated with the one unit.

Cross-references to related applications The present invention is a continuation-in-part of our earlier-filed application entitled, Spinning Unit and filed on Dec. 1, 1966, under Ser. No. 598,268, now abandoned.

Other related copendin applications are Ser. No. 543,826, filed Apr. 20, 1966, now US. Patent No. 3,354,631, and Ser. No. 582,473, filed Sept. 20, 1966, now US. Patent No. 3,354,626.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to spinning machines in general and more particularly to spinning machines for the spindleless spinning of fibrous materials. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an arrangement for determining the location of a trailing filament end in a spinning unit of such a spinning machine under predetermined conditions which will be discussed subsequently.

Spinning machines are known which comprise spinning units for the spindleless spinning of fibrous materials into filaments. Each of these units, of which a single spinning machine may comprise two hundred or more, includes a feeding mechanism for supplying fibrous material, a spinning mechanism for converting the fibrous material into a filament, and a filament winding mechanism which winds up the filament being spun in the spinning mechanism. It is well known that during operation of the respective spinning units, yarn-breakage or filament breakage will occur from time to time. Each of these units is therefore, in accordance with the prior art, provided with a tensile-type sensing device which indicates a yarn breakage as a function of a drop in the tension of the yarn which is being withdrawn by the take-up device. It is customary to have all or some of the operative components of the respective unit controlled by this sensing de- 3,462,936 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 vice so that these components are de-activated when the device detects a breakage in the yarn. The breakage is then eliminated by manually repriming the unit afiected that is by re-introduction of the trailing yarn end into the spinning chamber and by link-up of this trailing end to the forward portion of yarn being newly formed in the spinning chamber.

However, this type of break is not the only one which occurs in the operation of such spinning machines. It is evident that, whenever the entire machine is temporarily shut-down for instance at the end of a Working shift, over the weekend, or for other reasons, a break in the filament continuity must occur because the supply of fibrous material to the spinning chamber seizes and the spun filament is still being withdrawn from the spinning chamber by the take-up device. This type of break has always been very troublesome in the industry because of the re-priming which is required when the machine is to be put back into operation. Manual repriming is so time consuming and expensive in spinning machines having a great number of individual spinning units, each of which must be separately reprimed, that this concept has already been abandoned. It is known from the prior art, for instance from the aforementioned copending application 582,473, to provide a priming device which is associated with each of the individual spinning units and which, when the machine is restarted, returns the trailing yarn end into the spinning chamber where link-up with the yarn being newly spun is affected, whereupon the priming unit then causes normal operation of the take-up device of each of the units. This, in itself, represents a significant reduction in the time required for repriming the spinning units of a multi-unit spinning machine, and accordingly, results in a substantial cost reduction and increase of operating efiiciency.

However, use of such priming devices brings with it a new problem which heretofore had not been solved. Specifically, such machines employ a timer such as a timedelay relay which terminates operation of the take-up device subsequent to termination of the supply device so that such fibrous material as is contained in the spinning chamber at the time the supply of additional fibrous material is interrupted, can be converted into filament. Evidently, when this material is used up, a trailing end of the filament will begin to move out of the spinning chamber in the direction towards the take-up device. Ideally, all of the trailing ends of the filaments in the various spinning units of the machine should stop at substantially the same distance from the spinning chamber of the respective unit as all of the other trailing ends. This distance could then be calculated once and for all, and the priming mechanisms of each unit be operated, when the machine is restarted, for returning the trailing ends by the predetermined distance and into the respective spinning chambers. This return movement would be controlled by the timer which latter would, after expiration of the preset time necessary to return the trailing ends into the respective spinning chambers, disconnect the respective priming devices and signal the take-up to resume normal forward operation. Unfortunately this has not in practice been found to be reliable because, due to such factors as the high withdrawal speed of the yarn, the inertia forces which differ for the various take-up devices even though these devices are identical in construction, the quantity of fibers in the respective spinning chamber, and other factors, result in a scatterin of the location of the trailing yarn ends. In other words, the yarn ends may all be located at different distances from their respective spinning chambers, with the yarn ends being located on the occasion of one machine stoppage perhaps 5 centimeters from their respective spinning chambers, and

at the next stoppage perhaps as much as 8 or 10 centimeters, or possibly closer than centimeters. Thus, although the spacing of the different yarn ends from their respective spinning chambers during any given machine stoppage exhibits only a negligible scattering, the difference in spacing from machine stoppage to machine stoppage makes it impossible to calculate an average distance which would make it feasible to set the timer for a period of operation sufiicient for returning the farthest-spaced yarn end into its associated spinnin chamber for link-up purposes. The result has been that only some of the spinning units of a multi-unit spinning machine provided with such priming mechanisms and controlled by such a timer were reprimed automatically by the priming mechanisms, whereas the remaining units had to be reprimed by hand.

While it is self-evident that this is ineflicient and economically wasteful, no remedy for this situation has heretofore become known.

Summary of the invention The present invention overcomes the disadvantages outlined above.

More particularly, the present invention provides an arrangement wherein the location of all trailing yarn ends in all of the units of the machine is precisely determined.

The arrangement according to the present invention is very inexpensive and is simple enough so that it can be added not only to spinning machines being newly constructed but to existing spinning machines without requiring significant technological or economic expenditures.

With the arrangement according to the present invention reliable repriming of all individual units of a multi-unit spinning machine provided with priming mechanisms is positively assured.

Briefly stated, one feature of our invention comprises the provision of an improvement in a spinning machine, particularly a spining machine for the spindleless spinning of fibrous material into filaments. Such a spinning machine includes a plurality of individual spinning units each of which comprises a spinning means adapted to continuously spin fibrous material into a filament, supply means for continuously supplying fibrous material to the spinning means of the respective unit, and withdrawing means operative for continuously and in a predetermined path withdrawing from such spinning means the spun filament which originates therein. Our improvement consists in the provision of detecting means which is associated with one of the individual spinning units and which is active for detecting a trailing end of the particular filament which originates in the spinning means of such unit subsequent to determination of this supply of fibrous material to the spinning means of all of the units. Further, we provide an operative connection between the detecting means and the withdrawing means of the various units for the purpose of terminating the operation of such withdrawing means in response to detection of the trailing end of the aforementioned particular filament by the detecting means which is associated with the aforementioned one unit.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a multi-unit spinning machine incorporating our invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates, also diagrammatically, one of the units of the machine shown in FIG. 1, which unit is not, however, provided with the arrangement according to the present invention;

4 FIG. 3 is largely similar to FIG. 2, but illustrates a unit which is provided with the arrangement according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the positional-type detecting means employed in the unit shown in FIG. 3 and in accordance with the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIG. 1 thereof, it should be noted that the multi-unit machine shown in this figure is assumed to comprise a plurality of individual units, of which four are actually shown. Each of these units comprises a feeding or supply mechanism 1 which serves to feed a sliver 2 consisting of a fibrous material from a supply 3 and into the associated spinning mechanism or chamber 4. The construction and operation of the spinning mechanism 4 is disclosed in the aforementioned copending applications and need therefore not be further discussed.

Generally speaking, each spinning mechanism 4 is constituted by a chamber which is rotated about a predetermined axis and onto an inner surface of which the sliver 2 is fed. By contact with this inner surface, and under the influence of the centrifugal forces, the sliver is converted into a yarn or filament 6 which is withdrawn from an outlet of the spinning chamber 4 and wound up by a take-up or winding mechanism 7. To provide for better control over the movement of the yarn 6, and particularly to provide for precise confinement of the eventually developing trailing yarn ends with a view to facilitating repriming as will be brought out later on in this specification, each of the spinning chambers 4 is provided with a yarn guiding tube 5 which extends downstream from the outlet of the respective chamber 4, that is which extends in the direction in which the yarn moves towards the take-up 7. The take-up 7 is operatively connected with a priming mechanism 8 whose construction and operation are detailed in the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 582,473.

Arranged between the priming mechanism 8 and the yarn guide tube 5 is a tensile-type sensor 9 which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 and whose operation is both well known and evident from that figure. It will be clear from considering the element 9 in FIG. 2 that it comprises a suitable switch, which in the illustrated embodiment is seen to be normally open, whose operation is controlled in dependence upon the deflection of a tiltable lever or similar member, which engages the yarn 6. Thus, when a predetermined change in the tension of the yarn 6 occurs, that is if and when the yarn 6 breaks, the lever in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 can tilt towards the right, permitting the switch to close to thereby originate a signal which may, via the electrical circuit, illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 2, signal to the machine operator by illuminating a bulb 13, ringing a bell, operating a buzzer or the like. Simultaneously, the tensile-type detector 9 stops the supply of further sliver to the spinning chamber 4. The manner in which this is accomplished is not disclosed in detail and will be so obvious to those skilled in the art that there is no need for a more specific disclosure as to this aspect. It is to be understood that this termination of material supply effects only the one unit in which the yarn break has occurred, whereas all other units where no such break has been detected continue to operate as before. In the particular unit Where the break has occurred the operator, who has been summoned by the signal produced via the tensile-type detector 9, manually reprimes by withdrawing yarn from the take-up device and reintroducing the trailing end of the yarn into the spinning chamber 4. There, the trailing end is linked up with the newly-forming yarn by coming into contact with the inner surface of chamber 4 on which the sliver, which is now again being introduced into the chamber 4, is deposited. As soon as the break is thus removed, which of course results in automatic tensioning of the yarn, the tensile-type detector 9 is again placed into detecting position, that is the switch thereof is opened, and withdrawal of yarn from the chamber 4 with subsequent winding onto the take-up device 7 is resumed.

It should be pointed out that in FIG. 2. the various elements, such as pulleys, gears, belts, and the like, which are well known to those in the field have not been identified with reference numerals to avoid confusion and also because this is not believed to be necessary for an understanding of the invention. Also, the priming device which has been discussed earlier and which will subsequently be discussed in FIG. 3, has been omitted in the illustration of FIG. 2, although the units of a machine provided with the present invention will be arranged to utilize such priming devices.

While it has just been discussed how a break in the yarn can occur and be removed, during operation of the individual spinning unit, it will be evident that another type of break will occur when the machine is stopped at the end of a shift, for a weekend or for any other reason. When this occurs, that is when the entire machine is shut down, a mass breakage results, which is to say that a break occurs in each and every one of the individual spinning units. In machines of this type the yarn is withdrawn at a rate of usually 30 meters/minute, that is some 50 centimeters per second. For various reasons, the length of the yarn guide tube 5 can only be on the order of centimeters and it is evident that precise and quick control of each unit must be assured if the trailing yarn end, which results when the breakage occurs because of termination of supply of fibrous material to the respective spinning chambers 4, is to remain within the respective yarn guide tubes 5. This, however, is essential because otherwise the priming mechanism 8 illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 could not properly operate, it being evident that on automatic return movement of the yarn 6 located downstream of the guide tube 5, that is movement which is not supervised or eflected by the machine operator, the likelihood is great that the trailing end portion of the yarn 6 would not reenter the tube 5 for proper return into the associated spinning chamber 4. Such an occurrence would negate the value of the priming mechanism 8 and would necessitate manual priming.

To overcome this problem, one of the units of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1, embodies the present invention. Such a unit embodying the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. It will be seen that the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 is substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 2. The various gears, pulleys and drive means have been deleted in FIG. 3 as not essential to an understanding of the invention. This is also true of the electrical circuit. However, FIG. 3 shows the priming mechanism 8 in schematic form and it is again emphasized that such priming mechanism is disclosed in the copending application, Ser. No. 582,473. The tensile-type sensor or detector 9 is present in the unit shown in FIG. 3, just as in all of the other units of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

Additionally, however, the unit shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a positional-type detector 10, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of a photo-electric cell and a source of radiation which are located on opposite sides of the tube 5 in juxtaposition with two aligned openings 5 so that radiation originating in the source of radiation can pass through these openings across the passage defined within the tube 5, and can be registered by the photoelectric cell. Detectors of this type are not new, of course, and the illustration of this detector in FIG. 3 is therefore only schematic. It will be clear that the arrangement is such that no radiation can pass from the source across the passage of tube 5 and to the photoelectric cell while the yarn 6 passes uninterruptedly through the tube 5. However, and as is illustrated in FIG. 4, when a break occurs and as soon as the trailing end of the yarn 6 has passed beyond the aligned openings '5,

radiation from the source can now pass without hindrance across the passage of tube 5 and be registered by the photoelectric cell. The latter, in turn, produces a signal, for the purposes which are still to be described later.

The operation of the unit equipped as shown in FIG. 3 is as follows:

Let it be assumed that all units of the machine shown in FIG. 1 are in operation, under which circumstances the detector 10 of the unit shown in FIG. 3 is inoperative because of a (non-illustrated) connection which deactivates the detector 10 when the machine is started by depressing the starting button 11 shown in FIG. 1. If, now a break occurs in the yarn 6, either in the unit shown in FIG. 3 or in any of the other units which correspond to that shown in FIG. 2, such break is detected by the tensile-type detector 9 associated with the respective unit, which stops the supply of fibers to the respective spinning chamber 4, and signals the machine operator to reprime the respective unit manually. This has been discussed above in more detail.

The situation is quite different, however, when the entire machine is stopped, at the end of a shift or for a holiday or for some other reason, for example by depressing the stop button 12 shown in FIG. 1. When such stoppage is effected the tensile-type detectors are deactivated, and it will be clear that for this purpose an operative connection exists between these detectors 9 and the instrumentality which is controlled by depressing of the button 12. At the same time at which the sensors 9 are de-activated, the fiber supply devices 1 are also stopped so that no more fibrous material is introduced into the respective spinning chambers 4. Furthermore, the previously de-activated positional-type sensor 10 has simultaneously become activated, and the type and arrangement of operative connections which must exist for this purpose between the sensor 10 and the instrumentality controlled by the stop button 12 is known to those skilled in the art.

Operation of the spinning chambers 4 and of the takeup mechanisms 7 associated with the respective spinning chambers is not affected by the actuation of the stop button 12, however. Thus, each of the spinning chambers 4 continues to produce yarn from those fibers which still remained Within the respective spinning chamber at the time the supply of additional fibers ceased. As soon as these remaining fibers are consumed, the trailing yarn end advances out of the outlet of the respective spinning chamber 4, including the chamber 4 of the unit shown in FIG. 3 and towards the downstream end of the respective tube 5.

As the trailing yarn end passes the detector 10 or, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the aligned openings 5' in particular, the detector 10 determines at once the existence of a break and acts, by means of an operative connection which is not particularly illustrated, because it will be obvious to all those who are skilled in the art, to immediately stop both the take-up mechanism 7 and the drive for the spinning chamber 4. Of course, stopping of the yarn advance is determined by the rapidity with which the take-up mechanism 7 can be stopped, for which purpose a suitable brake or the like may be provided, and it is the length of time required for stopping of the take-up mechanism 7 which largely determines the length of the yarn guidance tube 5 which, as already pointed out earlier must be suflicient so that the trailing end of the yarn remains within the tube when the takeup mechanism 7 is finally stopped.

It is thus obvious from what has just been described that, when the button 12 is depressed, it is only the supply of fibrous material which is terminated whereas the takeup mechanism 7 and the drive for the spinning chamber 4 continue to operate and terminate their operation only after a stop-signal originates in the positional detector 10.

The schematic circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 2 illustrates a switch 14 which will be assumed to be the main switch controlling operation of the entire machine shown in FIG. 1. The positional detector 10 is operatively connected in such a manner with the main switch 14 that it is de-activated when the switch 14 is opened.

In accordance with the invention it is sufiicient to provide only a single one of the detectors 10 in only one of the spinning units of the entire machine of FIG. 1, namely one of the units such as is shown in FIG, 3, whereas the remaining units are without the detector 10 and are of the type shown in FIG. 2. The use of only a single one of the detectors It is possible because it can be assumed that the quantity of fibrous material which remains in each of the spinning chambers 4 of the individual spinning units of the machine is substantially uniform so that, when the supply of additional fibrous material is stopped, the supply of residual fibrous material in the respective spinning chambers 4 will be used up at substantially the same time and development of the trailing yarn ends will thus also occur at substantially the same time. However, it is advantageous in accordance with the present invention to provide not only a single one of the units with the detector 10, but to provide two or even several of the units with such detectors 10. When this is done, the entire machine, that is all units thereof, is still only controlled by a single one of the detectors 10 in the manner in which this has been described herebefore. The second or additional detectors 10 are provided only for back-up purposes, that is they are intended to become operative only if the initial detector 16 should fail because of damage or malfunction. The manner in which two or more of the detectors 10 en be electrically interconnected so that the second (and/or the additional) detector becomes activated only if the primary detector 10 fails to function properly, is well known to those skilled in the art and need not be discussed, particularly because it does not constitute a part of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a spinning machine, particularly for spindleless spinning of fibrous material into filaments, wherein a plurality of individual spinning units each comprise a spinning means adapted to continuously spin fibrous material into a filament, supply means for continuously supplying fibrous material to such spinning means, and withdrawing means operative for continuously and in a predetermined path withdrawing from such spinning means the spun filament originating therein, the improvement consisting in the provision of a plurality of first detecting means each associated with one of said units and each active for detecting filament breakage in the respective unit in response to a drop in the tension of the filament being withdrawn; second detecting means associated with one of said units and active for detecting, subsequent to termination of the supply of fibrous material to the spinning means of all of said units, a trailing end of the particular filament originating in the spinning means of said one unit; a first operative connection between each of said first detecting means and the supply means and withdrawing means of the respectively associated unit for terminating operation of both thereof in response to detection by the respective first detecting means of a drop in the tension of the filament originating in the associated unit; and a second operative connection between said second detecting means and with withdrawing means of all of said units for terminating operation of the withdrawing means of all of said units in response to detection of said trailing end by said second detecting means associated with said one unit.

2. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 1; further comprising actuating means connected with said withdrawing means and operable for initiating and for terminating operation thereof; a third operative connection between said actuating means and said second detecting means for activating the latter in response to operation of said actuating means in a sense terminating operation of said withdrawing means; and a fourth operative connection between said actuating means, said first detecting means and said second detecting means for activating said first detecting means in response to operation of said actuating means in a sense initiating operation of said withdrawing means and for simultaneously deactivating said second detecting means.

3. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 1, said first detecting means being positioned adjacent said predetermined path intermediate said withdrawing means and said spinning means of the respective unit, and said second detecting means being positioned adjacent said predetermined path intermediate the first detecting means and said spinning means of said one unit proximal to said spinning means thereof.

4. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said second detecting means comprises a positional-type detector arranged for sensing the position of said trailing end.

5. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said second detecting means is mounted adjacent said predetermined path and downstream of said spinning means of said one unit, but upstream of the withdrawing means thereof.

6. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said second detecting means comprises a photoelectric cell.

7. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 5; and further comprising starting means connected with said withdrawing means and operable for initiating operation of the same; and another operative connection between said starting means and said second detecting means for deactivating the same in response to operation of said starting means.

8. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 4, wherein the respective spinning means each comprise a spinning chamber having an outlet, and wall means extending downstream of said spinning chamber in registry with said outlet thereof and surrounding an increment of said path so as to define a yarn guide passage, said second detecting means being mounted adjacent said increment intermediate the ends thereof.

9. In a spinning machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said wall means is tubular and is provided with a pair of aligned transverse apertures, said second detecting means comprising a photo-electric cell arranged on one side of said wall means opposite one of said apertures, and a source of radiation arranged on the other side of said wall means opposite the other aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,354,631 11/1967 Elias et al. 5758.95

JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Eraminer US. Cl. X.R. 57-5839, 58.95 

